Thankfully, it is not as it may appear. The ‘bombing’ in ‘stair-bombing’ is more akin to ‘photo-bombing’ than, say, the bombing of Darwin, and the ‘bomber’ is more like Snoopy than Paul Tibbetts.

Of all the places one might imagine you could meet a ‘bomber’, of any model, the Society for Disability Studies Annual Conference may not come first to mind. But, indeed, that’s the scene of this unlikely occurrence. In fact, far from a stereotypical shadowy and seedy backstreet tavern, this coming-together manifested in the plush lobby of the Double Tree by Hilton (Entrance to Universal Studios) in Orlando, at a table populated by four others (names withheld to protect the innocent).

There was no smoke-filled air, no feeling of impending doom, or even secret service agents revealing themselves from behind the nearby cocktail bar. It was, in truth, a relaxed affair.

The ‘stair-bomber’ showed himself to be Jeff Preston, a mild-manner media and disability academic from the University of Western Ontario. His approach to the story was simple. He would tell it straight, pull no punches, and try not to spill his drink. His demeanor was calm, but it belied the impact of his revelations (not to mention intermittent explosions of laughter from teller and listener of tale).

He revealed, in 2011, he and a colleague, Clara Madrenas, set out, as many practitioners of civil disobedience do, to raise awareness of their cause. The ‘stair-bombers’ were determined to draw attention to the lack of accessibility in public places for people who use wheelchairs.

Preston, who uses a wheelchair, and Madrenas carried out their first mass stair-bomb on 1 May, 2011, in London, Onatario.

The pair, who are also the creators of Cripz, a web-comic that addresses the issues facing people with disability in Ontario, Canada, taped-off stairwells, making it difficult, if not impossible, for people to use the stairs.

People who approached the stairs faced a barricade – caution tape and a sign that read: “Caution: These Stairs are Out of Service—Inconvenient Eh? This is only an example of what persons with disabilities experience every day.”

“Perhaps by giving people the ‘disabled’ experience, they might not only empathize with our concerns but also be motivated to fight for our rights,” he says.

“It’s about forcing people to ask themselves, ‘How does it feel to be told there are places in this world that you cannot go, simply because of your mode of transportation?’”

Two years on, Preston is comfortable in his notoriety as a ‘stair-bomber’, and is confident the campaign had an impact. He reflected on a visit to a university campus where he was to give a public lecture on disability, only to find the campus in ‘near lock-down’ because university hierarchy had learned there was a ‘bomber’ in its midst. Eds Note: It does seem suitably ‘Canadian’ that they were so polite as to allow a ‘bomber’ on campus at all.

For me, the father of a boy, Mac, 10, who uses a wheelchair, the question of access is ever-present. A recent example being our visit to the aforementioned Universal Studios, where, despite paying full price, Mac, could only enjoy a small handful (three) of the rides for which the park is famous. He loved Shrek, Despicable Me, and Twister (more a movie experience than a ride). The first two were ‘4D’ virtual rides, with stationary platforms for people using wheelchairs (providing an accessible but somewhat limited experience). I must add, there are other rides for people who use wheelchairs, but the person needs to be able to hold-on and/or have reliable head control. That’s not Mac.

A more local example is the main campus of the University of Wollongong (my university). There are stairs everywhere, and, yes, a good supply of ramps. However, there are places where a person with a wheelchair cannot access, or, at least, access easily. The ‘stair-bombers’ could well find themselves rolling out the ‘caution’ tape once again.